It is estimated that only a minuscule percentage of all water on earth is fresh water. And of the fresh water that exists on the earth, only a fraction of 1% is available for use since most of the water is locked up in ice and snow masses and is not readily available. In a 1990 U.S. Geological Survey, the average U.S. resident uses in excess of 100 gallons per day for publicly supplied water and approximately 79 gallons per day for each person using his or her own water system.
It is also estimated that 32% of this estimated water consumption is used for showering. Waiting for cold shower water to warm-up to a desired temperature accounts for much of the idle time. As any unused shower water that falls into the drain is channeled into the sewer system, there is no natural recapture of fresh water used in showering. At 60 psi water flow, a single minute of idle shower flow will waste approximately two gallons of fresh water.
The recapture of fresh water during showering has been addressed in complex piping systems in new construction or major remodel projects. However, there are few economically feasible recourses for the average consumer beyond using a "low-flow" shower head with an external diverter in order to reduce unnecessary waste of fresh water. However, the turning on and off of the shower head during shampooing can prove to be complicated and unsatisfactory as the water temperature may not be adequately stabilized (i.e. that which the bather had become accustomed).
An object of the present invention is to provide an economical and easy-to-use fresh water recapture device that can divert, collect, and store fresh water used in a period when the bather does not require the water, such as during water temperature adjustment or during shampooing. It is an additional object of the present invention to also provide a aesthetically-pleasing, relatively unobtrusive, and functional device that can function as a caddy for shampoo, wash cloths, and the like.